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Congress Is Working On An Online Sales Tax! Would It Stop You From Shopping In Your PJs?

Would free shipping and the ability to try on swimsuits in the comfort of your own home suddenly seem less enticing if there were an extra 5% slapped on all of your online purchases? Prepare for that seeming inevitability, as Congress puts the wheels in motion for a new online sales tax.

According to ABC News, "Republicans in Congress have joined Democrats to support a bill that would give states authority to force Amazon, eBay, and other online companies to collect sales taxes." It's an attempt to find new revenue to "ease budget strains," led by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, and it means you'd be paying at least 5% more on your online purchases, with a distinct possibility that the change--now at work on a state-by-state basis--could eventually become federal law.

A few news sources are wondering what effect the tax could have on consumer behavior, with NBC pointing out, "If sales tax collection were to become ubiquitous among e-retailers, people might shop differently. 'In many categories with strong brick-and-mortar incumbents (e.g., electronics), a minority of consumers who avoided sales tax on previous purchases say they would go back to buying in stores if the sales tax changed,' [Forrester Research analyst Sucharita] Mulpuru wrote." Jezebel makes an interesting point about some categories that are only available for purchase online: "What's really frustrating is that for certain categories (plus size clothing comes to mind, but surely there are others) online is the only avenue. Retailers like Old Navy and Ann Taylor only carry their 'extended' sizes online. Not in stores. For shoppers who don't have an option to head to the brick-and-mortar store, the tax could feel like a fine."

What do you guys make of the new online sales tax initiative? Would it dissuade you from doing any of your shopping from the comfort of your computer? Would it limit your big-ticket purchases to brick-and-mortar stores only? Or does 5% seem like a small sacrifice for everything else you're getting? Discuss!